General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL

21 December 1990

ORIGINAL:ENGLISH

A/RES/45/197
71st plenary meeting
21 December 1990
45/197. Large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing and its impact
on the living marine resources of the world's
oceans and seas
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 44/225 concerning large-scale pelagic driftnet
fishing and its impact on the living marine resources of the world's oceans
and seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, which was adopted by
consensus on 22 December 1989,
Also recalling, in particular, that the General Assembly recommended that
all members of the international community agree to certain measures specified
in the operative paragraphs of resolution 44/225,
Further recalling the relevant principles elaborated in the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which are referred to in the seventh
to tenth preambular paragraphs of resolution 44/225,
Commending the unilateral, regional and international efforts that have
been undertaken by members of the international community and international
organizations to implement and support the objectives of resolution 44/225,
Noting that at the Twenty-first South Pacific Forum, held at Port Vila on
31 July and 1 August 1990, the Heads of Government reaffirmed their opposition
to large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing, and taking note of the resolution on
large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing in the South Pacific region, adopted by
the South Pacific Conference at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 31 October 1990,
Welcoming the decision of a Member State to suspend driftnet operations
in the South Pacific one year in advance of the date of cessation stipulated
by the General Assembly, and the decision of other Member States to cease or
suspend driftnet fishing,
Taking note of the Castries Declaration issued on 24 November 1989 at the
sixteenth meeting of the Authority of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean
States, in which the Authority resolved to establish a regional regime for the
regulation and management of the pelagic resources in the Lesser Antilles
region that would outlaw the use of driftnets and called upon other States in
the region to co-operate in this regard, and noting the more recent
developments in the wider Caribbean Community region,
Noting that there have been recent meetings related, inter alia, to the
protection of fish and other living marine resources and the environment in
the Mediterranean, including the Meeting of the Nine Western Mediterranean
Countries on Dialogue and Co-operation in the Western Mediterranean, held at
Rome on 10 October 1990, and the Meeting on the Mediterranean of the
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, held at Palma de Mallorca,
Spain, from 24 September to 19 October 1990,
Noting also that the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission has
concerned itself with large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing in the North
Pacific Ocean, including the need to accumulate scientific knowledge, and has
supported the full implementation of resolution 44/225,
Noting further that the International Whaling Commission, at its
forty-second annual meeting, in July 1990, referred to the use of large-scale
pelagic driftnets in many areas of the high seas, including important habitats
for cetaceans encompassing feeding and breeding grounds and migratory
pathways, and endorsed resolution 44/225,
Noting that, at its first session, the Preparatory Committee for the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development requested the
Secretary-General of the Conference to prepare, for submission to the
Preparatory Committee at its second session, a comprehensive report on,
inter alia, the impact of large-scale harvesting, and new fishing technologies
and fishing technologies incompatible with the sustainable management of
living marine resources, taking into account resolution 44/225,
Noting with appreciation the contribution to the report of the
Secretary-General made by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, by other appropriate organs, organizations and programmes of the
United Nations system and by various regional and subregional fisheries
organizations, in response to the request of the General Assembly in
paragraph 6 of resolution 44/225,
Also noting with appreciation the contribution to the report of the
Secretary-General made voluntarily by some members of the international
community and by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,
Noting that some members of the international community have initiated
co-operative efforts to obtain statistically sound data on the impact of
large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing,
Expressing deep concern about reports of attempts to expand large-scale
pelagic driftnet fishing on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean by one fishing
entity, in disregard of paragraph 4 (c) of resolution 44/225,
Expressing concern about reports of reflagging of vessels by some private
fishing interests, which is contrary to the spirit and content of resolution
44/225,
1. Takes note with interest of the report of the Secretary-General and
expresses its appreciation for his efforts;
2. Reaffirms its resolution 44/225, and calls for its full
implementation by all members of the international community, in accordance
with the measures and time-frame elaborated in paragraph 4 of that resolution
concerning large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing on the high seas of all the
world's oceans and seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas;
3. Also reaffirms that it is important that all members of the
international community take such measures as may be necessary to ensure
compliance with paragraph 4 (c) of resolution 44/225;
4. Requests the specialized agencies and other appropriate organs,
organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, as well as the
various global, regional and subregional fishery organizations, to continue to
study urgently large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing and its impact on living
marine resources and to report their views to the Secretary-General, bearing
in mind the dates set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 of resolution 44/225;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to
the attention of all members of the international community, intergovernmental
organizations, non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council and well-established scientific institutions with
expertise in relation to living marine resources;
6. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General
Assembly at its forty-sixth session a report on the implementation of the
present resolution.